Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?

Although it’s possible to kill ticks using a hair dryer, you’ll need so much heat to get it done. To eliminate the tick infestation, ensure the dryer has to be super hot, which will burn your hair and scalp.

Ticks are hearty pests that aren’t so easy to kill with a hair dryer. Considering you washed the hair, and it didn’t come off, surviving heat from a hair dryer can also happen.

The heat needed to kill ticks on your hair or pet can be damaging and hard to withstand for anyone. Additionally, the little creatures are mobile, and they can run away from heat and hide elsewhere. And, as you scour hair or fur to get to them, their eggs (nits) will survive the heat and chase. Therefore, you may be working hard chasing a wild goose!

Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?
Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?

Can you kill ticks in the hair dryer?

Killing ticks with a hair dryer is possible, but impractical because of the heat required. However, with the right hair dryer that reaches 170 ℉, you can kill lice in a few minutes. Here are two ways to do it.

Use the right hot hair dryer

Some hair dryers are mainly built to kill lice. Its hot air blower flows in high volume with a lot of heat and pressure to kill lice. Do so when parting the hair in small portions using a fine tooth comb. Ensure the comb reaches the scalp, exposing it to the hot air to kill lice.

Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?
Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?

Bonnet hair dryer

Alternatively, the bonnet hair dryer can also kill lice. But how long can ticks live in a dryer? It will take five to six minutes of constant hot air to kill ticks, as they’re stubborn. Put your head upright inside the bonnet, switch on the heat and turn it on. Hot air will blow internally, and as it whirls in the heat, the hot air kills the lice.

Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?
Bonnet hair dryer

What can kill ticks instantly?

Ticks die once they come in contact with chemicals like permethrin and Telstar, the most common ingredients in pest sprays. The former is affordable and will kill pests faster, instantly. Talstar, on the other hand, will take longer to kill pests but stays on for an extended time.

Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?
Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?

How to avoid ticks when you go outside?

How to avoid ticks when you go outside?

The tips below will help reduce the chances of ticks attaching themselves to you.

  • Apply or spray insect repellent on you and your children. Use a product that contains DEET, and use permethrin on your clothing.
  • Check your clothes and hair for ticks, paying attention to arms, knees, hair, belly button, and ears. Don’t forget to do the same for your pets.
  • Wash and dry your clothes longer to kill any ticks hanging on.
  • Wear light-colored clothing with long sleeves, allowing you to see the ticks easily. 

How do I make sure ticks aren’t in my hair?

How do I make sure ticks aren’t in my hair?

Ticks find a residence in your hair through contact from someone infested or sharing of personal effects like combs and clothing. They dig in and produce a sticky secretion that helps them hold on to the skin before itching begins. So in terms of ticks in human hair, what are the symptoms? The most common signs of ticks in human hair are;

  • Itchy rash at the bite
  • Burning sensation
  • Blisters

Clearing attached ticks

Get someone to comb your hair with a fine tooth comb, checking your scalp for ticks. The person checking should wear gloves to avoid spread, then comb through small hair batches slowly, looking for tiny flakes (brown or black) on your scalp. If they spot an unattached tick, let them squish or put it in a polythene bag.

Clearing attached ticks

Comb or brush your hair

If there’s no one to assist, use a fine-toothed comb to brush your hair slowly and watch if ticks fall. Put them in a cup with alcohol to die, then flush them down the toilet.

Comb or brush your hair

Wash your hair

Once you return to your house, shower within two hours, including your hair, and use mint, peppermint, or lavender products because ticks hate perfumes. Bathing and washing clothes immediately reduce the chances of attachment.

Wash your hair

How long does it take for a hair dryer to kill ticks?

A hairdryer will take six to 10 minutes to kill ticks under intense heat. The debate surrounding hair dryers killing ticks is unending, but most experts believe it’s possible.

Ticks are highly sensitive to extreme heat, and with a hair dryer, that can generate up to 190 ℉, killing them would be easy. To answer the question, will a hair dryer kill ticks, we must say, indeed, a hairdryer can kill ticks at high temperatures.

Can a Hair Dryer Kill Ticks?

Procedure of removing attached ticks

  • Use a pair of tweezers to pull the tick from the skin, then a hair dryer to blow hot air on the bite.
  • Put the tick in a container with alcohol or soapy water, and use the hair dryer to blow it for a minute before flashing it down the toilet.
  • When doing all these, be careful not to burn yourself.

Shower immediately

Shower immediately

You can pick ticks anytime you go out to a bushy area or mix with someone with the infestation. Therefore, you should shower immediately after getting back home and wash your clothes. You may wish to know, can ticks die in dryer? Ticks can die in the dryer if you wash and dry your clothes once you get home for 6 – 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does it take for a dryer to kill ticks?

In a dryer, it takes at least six minutes to kill ticks on clothes. If clothes are soiled, wash them before putting them in a dryer.

What temperature kills ticks

Ticks will die fast at about 54 °C or 130 °F. However, you must ensure that the clothes are clean before tossing them in the dryer.

Final Verdict

Outdoor activities are fun, but they can invite ticks fast. You might need to check for ticks if your scalp is abnormally itchy, with blisters and a burning sensation.

And once you find their existence in your hair, you need a solution to get rid of them fast. One question that will be running through your mind is, can a hair dryer kill ticks? Yes, a hairdryer can kill ticks, but it needs enough heat than usual to get it done.

Also, read – Do hotels in Ireland have hair dryers?

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